Hello, just a quick question here. My 30-30 seems to shoot POA at 200 yards. I haven't shot it at any distances closer than that; no fun. It has the stock iron sights on it, so I can't be sure, but I know it's pretty close. My question is, when I go hog hunting this weekend and try to get up to about 50 yards or so, how low do I have to aim? Am I interpreting the following chart correctly?

That's the obvious answer, except for two things - I don't have enough ammo to spare at the range (and can't find any more) and I just now got the offer to go hunting this Saturday morning. If your suggestion was an option I wouldn't post this question.

D.D. the reason I say "put up a target and shoot it" is because you can not take one known P.O.I. and reliably plug it into a trajectory chart. You need three known P.O.I. distances to establish a curve to plug into the chart. If you only know one point and wrongly estimate any of the other factors, your chart is worthless.

Thank you so much! I bet the difference in calculation for iron sight vs scope is too small to make that much of a difference; less of a difference than I have the skill to perceive anyway. A couple inches low it is! Thanks!

According to Hornady's Leverevolution ammo (my choice), you would be somewhere between -1" and +3" at 50 yards. At the muzzle, there are -1.5", so it would not go lower than that. http://www.hornady.com/store/30-30-W...EVERevolution/ - This assuming you are sighted in at 200yrds30-30 Win 160 gr FTX® LEVERevolution®
Ballistics Scrapbook

For a 200 yard zero with 150 grain bullets you are looking at 1.9 inches high at 50 yards & 3.5 inches high at 100 yards. These figures are from a ballistic calculator & are only an indication which have to be confirmed by actually shooting your rifle at these ranges.
In my opinion a 30/30 is more a mid range gun, with a 100-150 yard zero more useful with its trajectory.

That's the obvious answer, except for two things - I don't have enough ammo to spare at the range (and can't find any more) and I just now got the offer to go hunting this Saturday morning. If your suggestion was an option I wouldn't post this question.

Wait. You don't have enough ammo to spare at the range but are willing to take internet guesses on where your gun will impact for the purposes of hunting an animal? That is not the good way to assume a clean kill.

When hunters take shots at distances for which they don't know the trajectory of the rounds can explain why hunters make a lot of bad shots.

On the good side, you are at least working toward instead of away from your known. Using a ballistics calculator, looks like you need to ain about 2.75" low at 50 yards, but just over 4" at 100 yards.

Still, you should go and shoot at some distance increments to verify the theory.

__________________
"If you look through your scope and see your shoe, aim higher." -- said to me by my 11 year old daughter before going out for hogs 8/13/2011
My Hunting Videos https://www.youtube.com/user/HornHillRange

You're right, it's not. And on any other day I would do the animal the justice of verifying the trajectory at different distances. But I have ten rounds left. I have no time to go to the range before this Saturday morning. I only get the chance to go hog hunting once in a while. My standing unsupported aim with iron sights likely has a decent variance anyway, but at least I am trying to determine where to hold to give that first hog the best chance at a clean death.

It's not ideal, but it's realistic.

Keg, when i say 200 yards with iron sights POA, i don't mean I can call my shots in 2 inch groups or anything. I mean, when i hold on the center of a steel ram silhouette, my wife looks through the spotter and verifies a center hit. There could be a decent amount of variance in the shot that I can't distinguish from my lack of marksmanship ability, but it is a far cry from my m1 carbine on which I have to hold two feet low and left to hit center at 200.

This email link is to reach site administrators for assistance, if you cannot access TFL via other means. If you are a TFL member and can access TFL, please do not use this link; instead, use the forums (like Questions, Suggestions, and Tech Support) or PM an appropriate mod or admin.

If you are experiencing difficulties posting in the Buy/Sell/Trade subforums of TFL, please read the "sticky" announcement threads at the top of the applicable subforum. If you still feel you are qualified to post in those subforums, please contact "Shane Tuttle" (the mod for that portion of TFL) via Private Message for assistance.

This email contact address is not an "Ask the Firearms Expert" service. Such emails will be ignored. If you have a firearm related question, please register and post it on the forums.